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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · kick · march · pass · pitch · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a line of people
  4. march — music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. pitch — completely
  11. kick — in football
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com